Sunday, March 23, 2014

According to the calendar, winter is supposed to start on December 21 and end on March 20.

Aw, IF only it were that simple here in
Winnipeg! Our winters often start in mid to late October and snow can continue
to fall and stay on the ground well into April!

"Technically" spring arrived this past Thursday.
Now if only our temps would reflect that arrival! Okay, we flirted with
seasonal temps for a few days last week, but the cold air just doesn't want to
leave!

On October 27, I posted a blog about The Chill In The Air - and hoped that Mother Nature would be kind
to us this winter! YEAH as if!

This has been the coldest and snowiest winter we've had
in 35 years!

I honestly don't recall when the first snow fell - only
that it was sometime in mid November. I do recall that it was icy as heck those
first few days after as we'd also gotten a bit of freezing rain before it
turned to snow!

That iciness is vivid in my recollection as I fell while
getting out of a vehicle in an icy parking lot on November 19. I had one foot
on the running board and carefully placed the other on the ground. When I
lifted the foot off the board, the one on the ground went out from under me and
I landed more or less flat on my back!. I didn't break anything - just looked ridiculous
as I attempted to stand up again! I was a bit bruised and sore later on!

We got more snow over the next couple days. Shortly after
that I was walking on Graham Avenue downtown on a dull cloudy morning and
walked right into one of those metal bus benches! It was covered in that fresh
snow and I didn't see it! OUCH! (Yes, more bruises!)

I generally fall at least once every winter but twice in
one week was not a good start! I knew then that this was going to be one of
those winters!

Until the first week of December, snowfall and temps had
been fairly normal for these parts.

Then, Mother Nature's winter machine broke down and we've
been more or less stuck in ridiculously cold, snowy weather ever since!

In a normal winter we get about 110cm/43.3" of
snowfall. We've had almost 150cm/59" this year - including just over 8cm/3.2"
last Sunday! Fingers crossed we won't be getting any more! But that is most
likely wishful thinking as we almost
always get a nasty wintery blast as we are just nicely adjusting to spring.

Now normally, some of that snow would melt during the odd
warm spell - generally in late January or early February. Not this winter! This
past winter only a handful of days made it even near - let alone above the
seasonal norms! We usually have about 45 days with windchills of -30C/-22F or
more. This year? Would you believe twice that? Yup! Heck there were a
whole lot of those days where the windchill was -40C or MORE! Sadly, there
were even a few that bordered on windchills of -50C/-58F! NOW THAT IS COLD!!

Only the heartiest, bravest and craziest of humankind
embraced and thrived through the frigidness. I suspect they may be part polar
bear!

For those of us who are less adventurous in the wintery
ways and were forced/dared to venture out into the frigidness, it meant at
least one extra layer in our wintery armour. Another layer that made movement
of arms and legs more difficult. It was a reminder of what little kids must
feel like when they have snowsuits on that barely let them move!

In past winter's the city of Winnipeg did a fairly decent
job of keeping the streets and sidewalks cleared. However this past winter they
just couldn't get ahead of the game. The bitter cold temps made it harder to
keep machinery running. Sanding or salt has virtually no effect when the temps
get that low either so things just got worse instead of better.

The prolonged cold and additional snowfalls wrecked havoc
with our cities crumbling infrastructure. Back lanes and many side streets are
filled with high snowbanks and windrows of hard snow chunks. From Jan 1 to Feb
26 the city had 838 water main breaks. You can add a few more dozen to that
total now! The frost has gone much deeper (+8') this winter which is also
causing unbelievable problems for both homeowners and businesses as water pipes
are freezing! Well over 1,000 addresses have had to find alternate water
sources as they wait for the city to thaw pipes. Some have already been waiting
for over a month as thawing options are limited and take time! An additional
6,000+ addresses are at risk of freezing pipes and may be till June depending
on how the spring thaw goes!

Then of course there are the potholes created by the
thawing and freezing. We get an average of 500 every winter/spring. That number
has already been surpassed and the snow has barely begun to melt!

Sidewalks in most areas have been horrid all winter. Now,
with the flirtation of spring, they are like rutted skating rinks! I wear my
ice grips when I can, but most malls and larger stores don't take too kindly to
those being worn inside. My grips are a very snug fit so I really don't want to
have to add/remove them at entrance/exits unless I really have to. It just
means being a bit more selective where I go till the conditions improve.

I didn't venture out much this winter. I bundled up in
extra layers when I did have to go out and wasn't out any longer than I
absolutely had to be! I haven't hibernated this much since 90/91. That was the
winter I was recovering from a detached retina. Medical restrictions curtailed
all outside activity that wasn't necessary and I had to be accompanied by
another adult if I did go out due to risk of falling.

Thankfully, I have enough interests to keep myself occupied
while inside so cabin fever was at a minimum this winter. I do wish I'd have
been able to get out a bit more than I did, but I survived!

Only the heartiest of the winter lovers are lamenting the
end of this winter. They've had a good long run of it this year but it really
is time to move on!

Most of us would wish the snow gone tomorrow if we had
our way. Unfortunately, we need a slow melt or we will be facing a whole new
set of issues with flooding. Been there - done that - too many times to
mention!

So let's all take a deep breath of the spring like
weather - whenever it does arrive - and start the dreaming of how to enjoy all
that outdoor time once the white stuff is all gone!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

In my last post, I shared my tale of woe trying to create
a cookie using prepared lemon pie filling. It didn't go well to say the least!
However, as I mentioned at the end of that post, I do have a tasty cookie recipe that uses an instant pudding mix that
works quite well!

This cookbook was first published in 1988 and republished
in 1994. My 1994 edition of this book is falling apart, dog eared and filled
with post-it notes of what I liked/disliked or what I did differently for many
recipes! There is another, more recent title by the same author called "101 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies".
Though I haven't purchased this title, it appears to be almost the same book
with a new name - at least that is my assumption after scanning the "look
inside" feature on the Amazon page and comparing it to my tattered
hardcover. The index, intro info etc are almost identical.

Anyways, the recipe that I used
to create my Lemon Pudding Cookies,
was called "Milk Chocolate Chip Delights (page 81). The original called
for a vanilla pudding mix. It was a good cookie, but I felt it had more
potential to switch up the flavours. I have tried it with a chocolate pudding mix
but frankly have tasted better double chocolate chip cookies. I haven't tried
using butterscotch, pistachio or some of the other pudding flavours that are
available, but they may also work well. You could also try adding some extracts
other than vanilla to add more flavour.

I've made my lemon version MANY
times over the years! I've tweaked it even more by using a mixture of all
purpose and whole wheat flour, adding a bit of lemon extract and zest of a
lemon!

The baking temp of 375F may
seem a bit high however, I've found cooking them at a lower temp takes longer
and will also dry out the cookie more. Just set the timer and keep an eye on
them - they can go from perfection to almost burnt very quickly!

Hopefully, you'll enjoy these
as much as my friends and family have!

Lemon Pudding Cookies

1
1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1
cup all purpose flour

1
teaspoon baking soda

1/8
teaspoon salt

1/4
cup white sugar

3/4
cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1
85g/4 serving size instant lemon
pudding (not light version!)

1
cup block margarine, softened to room temp

1
teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2
teaspoon lemon extract

zest
of one lemon

2
large eggs, room temp

2 -
2 1/2 cups mini dark chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and
salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the white sugar,
brown sugar and pudding powder just to mix. (I just use a fork for this part
rather than turning on the mixer). Add the margarine and mix with the beater on
the stand mixer till light and creamy. Add the eggs, extracts and zest. Mix
till smooth and creamy.

Gradually add in the dry ingredients - stirring to thoroughly combine. Add in
the chocolate chips and stir to combine. Dough will be stiff!

Roll into small balls or drop by teaspoonful's and place about
2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly. These do not
spread very much.

Bake in preheated 375F oven for 8 - 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE!! Cool on pan for a
couple of minutes then transfer to rack to finish cooling. The cookies will
harden a bit as they cool. You can warm them for a few seconds in a microwave
to soften just before serving.

About Me

I was born in the late 50's and raised on a prairie farm. I've lived in Winnipeg since 1984. I have always had low vision but have been legally blind since 1990.
I have a wickedly warped sense of humour and love to laugh.
My interests include; music, baking, cooking, mysteries and much more.
You will learn more about me as you read the posts.